The Building Blocks of a Novel

Ready to Craft a Solid Foundation for your Story?

With The Building Blocks of a Novel, you'll get the information and guidance you need to craft a solid foundation for your story!

Many dreams about writing a book, having it published, and holding the physical proof of their hard work in their hands. But the reality of this dream is quite different because writing a novel requires a lot of hard work, and many writers get stuck.

Some writers struggle with story structure, some with character creation, and some struggle to even get started.

Are you one of those writers who dream about writing a book but don't know where to start? Are you stuck on story structure, character creation, and crafting a plot?

Then, let me ask:

How willing are you to make a reality of your dream? Are you ready to make the effort to finally start somewhere, and learn the building blocks of a novel?

If you answered no, that's okay.

If you answered yes, I'm here for you.

The Building Blocks of a Novel is a five-part, text-based course designed to give you guidance to craft the building blocks that are necessary for a story—building blocks like world building, character creation, story structure, and more.

I'll introduce you tothe building blocksby showing examples from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, and show you how to use those very same techniquesandadapt them to your chosen genre. This way you'll get the most out of the techniques you'll learn (and it means that you don't have to write children's books, MG, YA, or Fantasy to benefit from the course).

If you follow through with the course and take the action steps provided, you’ll have a solid story idea to develop into something great. It will take some hard work, but the result of finally having a solid beginning to your story will be well worth it.

You'll get five modules with twenty-eight lessons in total. You'll also receive workbooks to help you come up with ideas and develop the foundation of your story!

MODULE #1: World building

Learn how J.K. Rowling built the world to her Harry Potter series and how you can use the knowledge to build your own, whether your story's world is entirely fictional or not.

You'll also learn:

Why world building is important

The big building blocks of world building

The rich details of world building

And more!

MODULE #2: Characters

Learn how to use archetypes to create your cast of characters, just like J.K. Rowling did in the Harry Potter series.

You'll also learn:

How to categorize your characters

The archetypal characters of heroes/heroines/antiheroes, antagonists, mentors, and sidekicks

An additional list of archetypal characters Rowling used in the Harry Potter series

And more!

MODULE #3: Backstory

Learn the importance of backstory and how to use it the right way.

You'll also learn:

How J.K. Rowling used backstory to create suspense

Why it's important that secondary characters have a backstory

The importance of holding off backstory

And more!

MODULE #4: Story Structure

Learn a simple, universal story structure and how to use it.

You'll also learn:

How to use the structure to create a solid plot that will enrich your story rather than break it

How J.K. Rowling used story structure in the Harry Potter series and what lessons we can learn from that

And more!

MODULE #5: Outlining

Learn why an outline is important and how to make the most out of one.

You'll also learn:

What plot-threads are

What key scenes are and their importance

What makes a story strong and cohesive

And more!

Curriculum

Introduction

Introduction to the Course

Glossary pdf

World Building

Introduction to the World Building Module

World Building Workbook

The Big Blocks

The Rich Details

Additional Action Steps

Character

Introduction to the Character Module

Character Creation Workbook

Categorizing Your Characters

The Protagonist

The Antihero

The Antagonist

The Sidekick

The Mentor

Additional list of Archetypes in the Harry Potter Series

Backstory

Introduction to the Backstory Module

Backstory Workbook

Backstory Your Secondary Characters

Backstory and Characterization

Revealing the Backstory

Story Structure

Introduction to the Story Structure Module

Story Structure Workbook

Introduction to the Four-Part Sequential Model

Part 1: The Setup - Hook

Part 1: The Setup - First Plot Point

Part 2: The Response - First Pinch Point

Part 2: The Response - Midpoint

Part 3: The Attack - Second Pinch Point

Part 3: The Attack - Second Plot Point

Part 4: The Resolution

Additional Action Steps

Outlining

Introduction to the Outlining Module

Outlining Workbook

The Foundation

Outlines

Plot Ideas

Suspense and Shock

Additional Action Steps

About Your Instructor

Kylie Day

Instructor

Kylie Day is a coffee fueled bookworm that loves to write.

Her mission is to help writers write their books with bite-sized help, inspiration, tips, and creative exercises because small steps are easier to tackle than giant leaps.

Frequently Asked Questions

How are the lessons designed?

All the lessons are text-based, which means that there are no videos or audios. Every lesson covers J.K. Rowling's writing in the Harry Potter series and ends with a list of action steps that are applicable to whatever genre your story fits into. You'll also get a workbook for each module to help you with the action steps. I've chosen to divide the workbooks so that you'll get one per module because I want you to focus on one topic at the time instead of being overwhelmed by the sheer size of it.

When does the course start and finish?

You’ll have access to all the modules as soon as you enroll.

How long do I have access to the course?

How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.

Are there any refunds?

No. Because you get all the modules as soon as you enroll, there won't be any refunds.